The UK issued over 432,000 sponsored pupil visas to predominant candidates worldwide college students within the yr ending 2024 – 13% decrease than the identical interval final yr, in line with the report by ApplyBoard.
The report known as for establishments to deal with recruiting from the rising pupil populations, because the restriction on dependants continues to end in a decline in worldwide college students.
It mentioned Nepal is poised to change the worldwide pupil panorama throughout the globe, and its college students “are definitely exhibiting a powerful curiosity within the UK”.
The variety of Indian college students within the UK declined by 23% yr on yr whereas there was a 46% decline in Nigerian college students getting research visas for the yr ending in June.
Regardless of these findings, from January to June 2024, Pakistani and Nepalese pupil demand grew by over 30% every in comparison with the identical interval the earlier yr.
Almost 34,000 Pakistani college students have been issued a research visa, surpassing Nigeria to turn into the UK’s third largest supply of worldwide college students.
ApplyBoard mentioned the dip in general research visas being issued is “seemingly solely the tip of the iceberg” as nearly all of research visas are issued through the third quarter when the brand new tutorial yr begins, making the subsequent couple of months “pivotal”.
Visa refusal charges remained low, with solely 4% of predominant candidates refused a sponsored research visa for the yr ending June 2024, in line with the report.
“Refusals, then, performed solely a minimal function within the general dip in pupil visas,” the report mentioned.
It highlighted that there’s been a “great spoke in withdrawn functions” for the reason that UK introduced a coverage banning masters taught worldwide college students from bringing dependents into the nation with them was introduced.
Vacation spot markets don’t function in a vacuum—we’ve seen repeatedly how insurance policies in a single nation can push or pull pupil inflows from one other
ApplyBoard
Over 6,000 predominant candidates withdrew their sponsored research visa functions throughout this era – a rise of 279% over the identical interval in 2023.
Moreover, the report highlighted that Australia’s new worldwide pupil cap may present the UK’s worldwide schooling sector with the potential for “constructive momentum”.
“Vacation spot markets don’t function in a vacuum—we’ve seen repeatedly how insurance policies in a single nation can push or pull pupil inflows from one other.
“The UK benefited when Australia’s borders have been closed for 2 years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it might not shock us to see a renewed spike in curiosity for UK establishments as a result of forthcoming Australian cap,” the report mentioned.
